Last Christmas
by Sapphire X Dreams
Summary: When Hikaru and Sai go off to get Christmas gifts for Hikaru's friends, Sai wanders off, and makes a run in with a mysterious woman whom he can actually touch! Will love spark? Meanwhile, Hikaru tries to get the best gift for Akira.
1. Love: The Gift of Oneself

_Love__:__The Gift of Oneself_

**Author's Note: Well, this was an idea I had six months ago. I guess I was feeling in the Christmas mood, so I listened to the song, Last Christmas and came up with this. I hope you enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go, it belongs to Yumi Hotta. I also don't own the song, Last Christmas. I only own the character Asami who however, is just a character I made for this fanfic. **

Sai pointed to another spot on the Go board and Hikaru placed a black stone down. They were both silent. Focused completely on the game. Hikaru narrowed his eyes. He was aiming for a win. Never once, had he won a game against Sai.

Sai pointed to another spot on the board. Hikaru's eyes brightened. He was ready for a counterattack. Could Sai really have made such a stupid move?! Hikaru lifted a white stone from the goke, just as he was about to place it, a call came from downstairs.

"Hikaru! Oh, Hikaru! Look at the snow!"

It was his mom. Hikaru rolled his eyes and got up from the game. He headed straight towards the window and looked out. The place was overflowing with snow. White was everywhere you looked.

"Whoa!" Hikaru exclaimed in awe. He then thought of Christmas. He ran over to his bed, and jumped off of it to get to the other side. On his closet door, a calender showed when his games were and such. He flipped it to see that today was December 16th. Hikaru slapped his forehead. It was past the day. Touya's birthday was the 14th. He was two days late. He hadn't gotten him a gift or anything. Hikaru turned around to see the shiny, polished, kaya Go board in an empty corner of his room. It had an elegant design on the sides which were golden squiggly lines. It was the best board he had ever gotten, but he had never used it. He wanted the first game to be played on it to be against him and Touya. Hikaru sighed.

That's the gift that Touya had given him for his birthday. Yet, Hikaru had noting to give him back. Another Go board would mean nothing to Touya. He probably had a million by now. What about a gift for Christmas instead of his birthday? What if he combined the gifts? Hikaru sighed again and headed back over to Sai's side.

"Sai, what do you think I should get Touya for Christmas?" Sai blinked a few times before answering. "Something that would mean a lot to him." Sai said matter-of-factly. Hikaru sweat dropped.

"NO DUH!!!!" The half-blonde yelled. Exasperated, he laid down on his bed.

"Man, Touya. Why is it so hard to think of something for you?" He closed his eyes and after a quick nap, he jumped up. "Hey, Sai?! Let's go out and buy presents for everyone!" He jumped off the bed and ran downstairs not even waiting for Sai. Sai looked at the covered Go board and then figured there was nothing he could do about it, so he ran out after his host.

* * *

The snow was falling from the sky slowly now. It lingered and danced around in the sky for a while, and then it fell to the ground.

"You know, Sai," Hikaru said looking pretty annoyed as they strolled down the snowy sidewalks of the crowded Tokyo streets. "You don't have to follow me everywhere. I mean, I am 14. You look like my parent, or a child molester or something." Sai stared at Hikaru, a questioned look pulling on his face.

Hikaru groaned. "In other words, quit following me! You could at least go over there." Hikaru pointed at another store a while away from where Hikaru was heading.

"B-but, nobody can even see me. Sai stammered. However, Hikaru was already leaving him. The purple-haired ghost sighed and headed in the direction to which Hikaru had been pointing. He mumbled as he walked alone.

"Hikaru is so mean sometimes." Sai's eyes were on the snow covered ground so he was obviously oblivious to the figure turning the corner in a hurry. They both _ran into each other_ and the other figure's belongings spilled all over the place.

Sai was shocked.

Had they actually, RAN INTO EACH OTHER!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! He was a ghost. That's impossible. He couldn't touch. He must have been daydreaming, she must have bumped into someone else. There had to be something to explain this. Sai looked up, his head was throbbing. He was about to leave but he felt something under his hand.

Opening his eyes, Sai saw that his hand was laying on top of the person he had bumped into. He looked up and both people's eyes met. The figure was a beautiful woman. She had eyes the color of an iris flower, and her violet hair cascaded elegantly down her back and on one shoulder. She felt Sai's hand on top of hers.

She looked at him a little bit more closely. He was extremely handsome.

Suddenly, Sai's mind began to process that his hand was on hers. His entire face turned about 33 different shades of red. He quickly pulled his hand away. "I'm sorry." He stammered not making eye contact. Sai hurried to his feet and ran off.

As the woman watched Sai hurry off, she knew he was shy, so she didn't blame him for not helping with the gifts. She gathered them up herself and then began to wander what his name was and if they'd ever meet again.

**Author's Note: How was it? I hope you enjoyed it. I love reviews, so if you can, please review. =3**


	2. Once Bitten, Twice Shy

_C__hapter __2:_

_Once Bitten, And Twice Shy_

"Hikaru!" Sai called looking around desperately for him. Something inside his brain, told him he had to be as far away as possible from that woman.

"Hikaru!" Sai looked in all the windows of stores that he passed by. Suddenly, he saw Hikaru at the food court. He was sipping a milkshake while talking with Waya and Isumi.

Sai ran in, a little cautious hoping Waya and Isumi wouldn't notice him too.

"Hikaru, please can we go now?! I've been looking for you for hours!" Sai whined poking Hikaru with his fan. "Gosh Sai. I only sent you away 2 hours ago. Go away." Hikaru retorted swatting at Sai as if he was a bug. Sai looked down to see a lot of shopping bags by Hikaru's feet. He _had_ to be done shopping by now! Sai turned away and wandered around the food court waiting for Hikaru to hurry up.

The swinging door opened and in walked that woman again. Sai gasped. Just as Sai caught sight of her, she caught sight of him as well. She began walking towards him. Sai turned away and ran towards the stairs.

"No, wait!" The woman cried after him. Sai ran up the stairs trying to get as far away as possible from her. Sai heard her call once more, after he had shut himself inside a closet. 'I'm cruel.' Sai said in his head. She probably just wants to know my name. And then maybe want to scold me because I broke one of her gifts. But how can she see me!?!?! Sai was desperate. He wanted to fall right through the ground. He shut his eyes tightly wishing that this woman would leave him alone. Sai opened the door a crack to see the woman still at work trying to find him.

Sooner or later, she would have come to check this room out. Sai snuck out of the closet and headed towards the stairs once more. But something grabbed his arm. He turned around quickly to see the woman there. So close to his face. "Can you at least tell me, your name?" She asked.

Sai hesitated for a while, and then in a weak voice he told her his name.

"My name is Asami Suiren." She said. "Nice to meet you." She smiled brightly. Then she looked deeply into his bright sapphire-colored eyes. "You are very handsome." Sai blushed once more and then turned away.

"I'm sorry. I'm getting a little nosy." Asami let go of his arm. "Well, I guess must be going." The woman smiled once more then stopped. "Will I ever be able to see you again?" She asked herself. Then, she opened her mouth again. "I know! There's a special Christmas Festival at the Go Institute. Would you like to meet there?" She brightened.

Sai couldn't believe her. They had met by accident and already she wanted to see him again. "Um... sure." Sai said unsure of what he was getting into. "Great. It starts at 5:30." She smiled and then turned and left. Like that, she was completely gone. Sai sighed. What had he gotten himself into? At that moment, "sure" had seemed worlds closer to 'no'.


	3. I'm Hiding From You SHORT CHAPTER

_C__hapter__3:_

_I'm Hiding From You_

_{!!!SHORT CHAPTER!!!}_

Hikaru placed a stone on the Go board. He looked up to see Sai point solemnly at a spot on the board.

"Sai?" Hikaru finally broke the ice. Sai looked up, a forlorn look on his face. "What's wrong? You haven't been all cheerful and goofy like you usually are. You're so quiet."

Sai's eyes went back down to the board. "H-Hikaru? I-is it possible, t-that we could go to the Go Institute tomorrow? (It had been a week since he'd seen Asami). "Why?" Hikaru asked a smile on his face.

"Well, I saw that there was a Festival, and I- I sort of wanted to go to it." Sai lied. He hated lying to Hikaru, but if he didn't go, he would have been lying to Asami too. He had been dreading going to the Festival. For some reason, his mind didn't want to see Asami.

How could she see him? Or touch him? He was in deep water now. Hikaru gave Sai a puzzled look. Sai wouldn't want to go to any Christmas Festival, he'd rather spend over 24 hours playing and analyzing Go games.

"Now that I think about it, Akari did ask me to go to that. She's so wrapped up in Go now. She won't STOP asking me to go to all these Go-related events. I guess so, if that will make you feel better." Hikaru said counting up the stones. _"Believe me, Hikaru... it will do just the opposite."_ Sai said to himself and began counting Hikaru's territory.


	4. You Still Catch My Eye

_C__hapter__4:_

_You Still Catch My Eye_

_**A/N: **__Okay, so to be truthful, I stopped writing this story... awhile ago *shifty eyes*. Now that I'm actually getting reviews on this fanfic, I think I'll have to blow the dust off of it. That's one of the reasons the chapters are so... short... Sorry for the wait. Just please be patient with me! A_

_~X~X~_

The room was filled to the brim with people. Some Go fanatics, others well... they didn't even know why they were there.

Hikaru walked down the snow-covered sidewalk. Far behind him, Sai was chiding himself for bumping into her._ He sure doesn't look very happy. In fact, he looks like a nervous wreck. _Hikaru looked at Sai, worried, from the corner of his eye.

"Sai? I'm really worried about you. What's wrong?"

Hikaru turned around. As he waited for Sai to answer, he pulled his scarf closer. After a while, Sai spoke up.

"N-Nothing. I'm fine." Sai looked at the ground. With all his heart, he wished he was stuck back in the Go board. Okay, that was going a little bit too far back on the pity meter, but even so, he was exaggerating. A lot.

Hikaru looked at Sai a while longer, and then walked into the Go Institute. The place was colorful. Green, red, and gold sprinkled the entire room. Hikaru spotted Akari waving. He began to walk, only to see Sai not following.

"Do you want to stay here?" Hikaru asked sympathetically. Sai nodded, and then feeling guilty as ever, Hikaru went over to Akari, who surprisingly, had come with Fuku, Isumi, and Waya. Sai spent his time looking at the ground and wishing Asami wouldn't come. But just then, he looked up to see Asami standing right in front of him. She was dressed in a beautiful long red dress.

"I hope I look alright." she asked shyly. "You look... beautiful." Sai smiled at her. And to his surprise, he didn't have to force it. Was he really falling in love with her???

"I'm really sorry, if I was kind of... forceful. I'm really not like that. Will you forgive me?" She smiled a little.

"Of course."

Sai found himself coming closer to her. In his head he was wandering, 'What the heck was wrong with me???' He was moving closer to her and acting as if they knew each other. "Would you like to play a game of Go? I'm just a beginner though." Asami asked after a while.

How would he move the stones? Sadly, Sai had to turn down the offer. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life. "I can't play." Sai half-lied leaving an explanation up in the air.

"Oh." Asami saddened. "Would you like to just... talk?" She asked, forcing a smile. "Okay." So they talked in private. Sai learned so much about Asami. She seemed to know so much about the Heian Era and the poetry they wrote back then and everything. And then, she composed a poem of her own for him. The poem was beautiful and elegant. And that's all it took; Sai was now in love. And they both knew it.

They were sharing ALL of their darkest secrets with each other, when Hikaru walked over to them and said it was time to go. Sai had already zipped his lip, so Hikaru didn't think he was talking with Asami. Just sitting close to her.

"Okay." Sai replied sadly. He didn't want to leave Asami. He had had so much fun. "Well, I'm glad we know everything about each other." Asami grinned. (except of course, that Sai was a ghost) She smiled at him. (Hikaru was waiting for Sai as he talked with Waya) Sai looked a little uncomfortable. He really loved her and he wanted to tell her but, she might get scared and leave him. Sai nodded, still with his nervous look on.

"Well, I guess you have to go. I do too." Asami stood up and then, to both of their surprise, Asami leaned forward and placed her lips against his. They were _both_ shocked. But Sai was in Heaven. He walked out of the Go Institute completely lovestruck. _I guess that did do the trick._ Hikaru said to himself mistaking Sai's lovestruckness with happiness. Sai couldn't wait to see her once more.


	5. 10 Million Chapters of Lies

_Chapter 5:_

_10 Million Chapters of Lies _

_A/N: Here's your chapter. Enjoy! _

_~X~X~_

For the next few days, Sai didn't want to do anything besides staring out into space thinking about his and Hikaru's day at the Go Institute. And then thinking about the kiss. He remembered the kiss fully and completely, and everytime he remembered the feel of it, his heart warmed and he got goosebumps. Hikaru began wondering why Sai was more out of it than anything. When Hikaru asked if he wanted to play a game, Sai wouldn't hear him at first, and then would finally say yes, in a dazing and dreamy voice. At one point, Hikaru got pretty suspicious and seemed forced to ask his mom about what was going on...

Of course, using another name for Sai, Hikaru explained the situation, and his mom told him the only thing she could come up with. "That special friend of yours is in love."

Of course Hikaru soooooo wasn't thinking this, but all the signs_ did_ point it out. 

"Hey, Sai?" Hikaru asked, placing a stone down as the two were in the middle of a game.

"Yes?" Sai looked up from staring at the wall, in deep thought. "Are you in love?" Hikaru plainly asked.

Bad choice.

Sai totally_ flipped out. "Of-Of course not!!! _What made you ever think of such a silly thing??? Ha ha ha ha." Sai forced a nervous laugh as he waved his arms back and forth. Hikaru gave him a skeptical look, and then shook his head. He was already thinking, _"Why would Sai fall in love with some woman? He's a ghost. I thought he wouldn't like women from this time. And why now? She must be pretty special because he's head over heels for her." Hikaru turned back around, his hand --that had been on his chin in a signiture thinking pose-- dropped back into his lap._

"So who is it?"

"It's no one!" Sai said, a little too quickly. "You don't have to worry, Hikaru. I'm not in love. Why would I be?"

"Because you space out every 5 seconds." Hikaru replied sarcastically. "Just tell me who it is."

Sai shook his head, but then opened his mouth. "Her name is Asami Suiren," the ghost said quickly.

"Tell me about her." Hikaru asked, placing another stone down.

"Well... she's beautiful... and pleasant and kind...." Sooner or later, Sai was going on and on and on about how perfect this Asami lady was. She sounded nice, but frankly, Hikaru didn't think she sounded all that different from his_**Mom**__. _That was scary...

Instead of voicing that thought aloud, Hikaru just shook his head, knowing that Sai was totally in love with this woman. Come to think of it, Sai _did _describe this woman like the one he was sitting next to at the Go Institute. A_ lot _like her. Was this her? If so, she _was_ pretty._ If Sai was in fact talking to her, that means she would have to see him. _

"Does she know you're a ghost?" Hikaru asked, interrupting Sai's story (to Sai's frustration). The purple-haired male stopped and stared at Hikaru, blinking a few times. "Well... um... no," he stammered biting his lip.

"Why?"

"She might get scared if she knew I was a ghost. She already asked me to play her in a game, but I couldn't because I can't hold the stones." Sai confessed sadly. "I don't want to lie to her but..." His voice trailed off.

"Just tell her the truth." Hikaru didn't take his eyes of the board._ And this is coming from the same person that lies to his mother about what institute he goes on Saturdays... _Sai thought bitterly, glowering at Hikaru from a sideways angle. His cheeks puffed out a bit in irritation.

"I know it's easier said than done, but I bet you can do it-- I know! Get her a Christmas present. That will be perfect!" Hikaru smiled at Sai encouragingly. He was all-smiles. "I guess... Will you buy it for me and I'll give it to her... somehow." Sai asked. "Of course," Hikaru replied brightly, "What are friends for?"

And that's how Hikaru lead Sai to squash him in a tender glomp.

And, so it was settled...


	6. I Wrapped It Up and Sent It

_Chapter 6:_

_I Wrapped It Up and Sent It_

The very next day, the two went down to the mall again to get Asami's present. As they walked, Sai decided to spark conversation.

"Hikaru, did you find a present for Akira yet?" Sai asked as the two walked down the sidewalk.

Hikaru's bright and happy manner slipped away, replaced with a glum disposition. "No." He kicked a pebble down the sidewalk. "I don't know what to get that guy," he replied, shaking his two-toned locks back and forth.

"Why not something non-Go related?" Sai questioned, an innocent look on his face. Hikaru was silently nonplussed. Since when was something _non_-Go-related with Sai? Everything about him was Go. He played, breathed, ate, drank, saw, tasted, listened, and lived Go. How on earth could something _not_ be about Go??? The green-eyed host hoped this Asami girl wasn't changing Sai _that_ much...

"What else does he like besides girl colors?" Hikaru replied thinking of the time when he actually saw Akira wearing light purple, and then him wearing plaid. Scary, to say the least. NO Go player wore light purple. At least, if you were a guy you wouldn't. A _normal_ guy, that is. But on the other hand, when was Akira ever normal? He had a scary way of becoming obsessed with people. No, he had a scary way of becoming obsessed with _Hikaru_ and everything _he_ did.

He shook his head again. "Oh well, I guess I won't give him anything." Sai looked at Hikaru sympathetically, and just as he was going to give him another piece of (useless) advise, he looked up and saw someone.

Across the sidewalk he saw Asami. She was shopping (duh) and strolling around, window shopping. "Eeeep!!" The purple-haired ghost let out a yelp and jumped. "What's wrong?" Hikaru asked cautiously half expecting to see Akira. And then he was also half thinking that his rival had heard the comments on his un-Go player like girly shirts...

Sai nervously pointed across the road at Asami with his fan. It was the girl that was at the Go Institute...

"Oh... I expected it to be someone important," Hikaru mentally kicked himself. "So? Go talk to her," he said while he was simultaneously telling his brain, _false alarm_. "I can't go talk to her! She'll ask what I'm doing here!"

Was he kidding? He was upset that she was going to ask him what he was doing there?! Oh brother.

"Tell her you're shopping with a friend." Hikaru shrugged as he replied simply. "She might ask who I'm shopping for!!"

"Then tell her you're just shopping _for_ a friend. ...And why the heck would she ask that, anyway?" Hikaru craned his neck upward and gave Sai a 'do you even think before you spit something out?' look. Actually, that expression was mixed with an 'are you _hearing_ yourself?!' gaze.

Gosh, Sai was acting as if he had never talked to someone of the opposite gender before.

Sai exhaled, but he didn't move from behind Hikaru. Asami, across the way, was laughing at a display of elves making Santa's presents in a window. She had a few bags around her arm. After the laughter, she turned around, large purple-blue eyes washed in inquiry.

As soon as she did, her eyes landed on Sai and Hikaru staring right back at her. She brightened and then began their way right over to the hosts of the two-person chorus of blue and green eyes.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Sai began running circles around Hikaru. "She's coming over here!!! She's coming over here!!!" he panicked. (Surprisingly, all the while, Asami didn't even notice.) Sai took off down the sidewalk, and what was Hikaru left to do by sigh and run after him? Asami noticed this and stopped in her tracks.

She looked confused for a while, shrugged and then ran after them. Maybe if she ran fast enough, she'd be able to catch up to them! She really wanted to talk to Sai once more before her shopping day was done...

After quite a while, Sai and Hikaru arrived at the Shindo household. The middle-schooler shut the door loudly behind him, and then stopped to rest. "Why the heck did you run?" Hikaru asked turning around. Honestly, Sai expected him to be a little more cross.

"I panicked," the blue-eyed ghost said defensively to hide his nervous laughter in the pit of his dry throat. "Oh well." Hikaru continued panting. "Want to play a game?" he looked up innocently, trying to drop the subject completely. Sai agreed, and the two set to work setting up.


End file.
